Moments Missing from Much Ado
by Frozen Megami
Summary: While volunteering to take care of baby Jordan, Darien gets a glimpse into the person that lies beyond the klutzy Meatball Head. Interconnected drabbles. Chp5 She should have looked like a child lost within a pool of my dress shirt and sweats, but she was every bit of a young temptress.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Moments Missing from Much Ado

Characters/Couple: Usagi x Darien

Summary: While volunteering to take care of baby Jordan, Darien gets a glimpse into the person that lies beyond the klutzy Meatball Head. Told in short interconnected drabbles.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Sailor Moon franchise or characters.

**Moment Number One: On the walk home**

Ami was right. I was being impulsive, but Jordan reminded me of those orphanage days. The old feelings of abandonment, being unwanted, and being a burden on those taking care of me in the orphanage kind of threw me into my current situation. What was my situation? Oh, just a baby bag on one arm, a baby seat with a baby of a woman I just met safely fastened in it, and one Meatball Head to "assist" me.

"What have you gotten yourself into, Darien?" I asked myself.

Another sigh escaped me before I finally noticed the unusual silence that surrounded me and Meatball Head. In a quick glance, I saw the thoughtful expression marring her face. No one was walking our way, so I took the chance to study her in this unheard of moment of peace. Her thumb nail was being warred on between her teeth. Her blue eyes were dampened and scrunched up in some melancholy look. She looked like she was ready to cry at any moment. I thought I was the one that was supposed to be crying? I was the one stuck with babysitting an infant and a fourteen year old whiner.

"What's with the face, Meatball Head?"

Her big eyes landed on me in surprise as she whispered, "What?"

"Please, your hearing can't be that bad." I grumbled back.

She swiftly turned her eyes to the sleeping baby before she said, "I heard. I've just never heard you speak to me like that before."

I could feel myself rolling my eyes at the comment. "You've never heard me call you Meatball Head. Now I know you're crazy."

The two yellow buns on top of her head moved as she shook her head. Two glowing eyes stared into mine for a second before a blush spread across her cheeks and she turned her eyes to the sidewalk ahead of us. "I mean your tone. It was soft. I think I only heard you use it with others or before…" Her voice drifted off, but there wasn't time to ask about it.

Jordan was waking up. Dear Kami, I didn't know a baby could get so loud. Just as I set the baby down to find a bottle in the baby bag Meatball Head swiped in to pick up Jordan.

"Hey, little Jordan! Did you enjoy your nap?" She asked him.

There was something off. Meatball Head's cheerful voice didn't match her eyes, so I tried again.

"What are you thinking about, Meatball Head?"

She stopped rocking Jordan in her arms to glance up at me through her bangs. For split second, I thought I saw a misery that could match my own, but the moment she blinked her eyes, it wasn't there. Jordan silently sat in her arms as she began to rock again while walking forward.

"I was thinking about Jordan's mother and the others. They were all hurt. When I left to go to the restroom in the hospital I heard all the babies' mothers crying. They were so sad. The sobs, they were heart wrenching." Her voice started to break, but she stayed two steps ahead of me so I wasn't able to see her face. However, her slumped shoulders just screamed depressed. "Why does such evil exist? Why do innocent people have to get hurt?"

I didn't recognize when I had stopped in my tracks, but as I gazed at Meatball Head's retreating back I think I saw a glimpse of what Andrew talks about. Maybe there was more to her than the horrible grades and whining. Andrew said she's more than just stupid smiles, someone worth getting to know…

A deep sigh left my lips before I started walking after the two.

"Do you even know where you're going, Meatball Head?"

~*~*~ Moment One Fin ~*~*~

Special Thanks to my Beta-Reader:

ThickerThanLove

**AN**: I hope you all enjoyed! This is my first posted Sailor Moon fan fiction. It's on one of my favorite episodes and I don't think fan fiction writers really see the potential to write on it. With any luck, I inspired someone out there to build on the episode. Thank you again for reading.

**About the Story**: This particular story will be kept within ten chapters/moments. I think anymore may be stretching it, but if you enjoy say so (*hint* *hint* "Review" button) and I'll see if I can conjure up moments to share!


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: While volunteering to take care of baby Jordan, Darien gets a glimpse into the person that lies beyond the klutzy Meatball Head. Told in short interconnected drabbles.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Sailor Moon franchise or characters.

**Moment # 2: Baby's first nap**

"Sing him a song or something, Meatball Head!" I regretted the suggestion immediately as I heard her belt out notes over Jordan's screaming. It seemed like nothing was good enough to please that baby. A clean diaper, fresh milk bottle, and ridiculous faces weren't working. He needed a new diaper, didn't want the bottle, and ignored any faces me or Meatball Head made.

I haven't even broken the three hour mark of having Jordan and I'm sitting on the couch with my head helplessly buried in the baby book Ami gave me. I peeked up from the book just in time to watch Meatball Head press her lips to Jordan's stomach and blow on it. That got to him. A loud shrieking giggle left his lips as Jordan clapped his hands in glee. She did it again this time raising her head to see Jordan gurgle in delight. Both of them seemed to be in their own little world, so I just continued to read.

I don't know how long she continued to play with him, but at some point the room grew quiet.

"He's a sleep." Her soft voice broke through my reading.

Startled, I looked up from the book to see her lying down next to the snoring infant on the bed. I found it hard to believe it was Meatball Head I was regarding. The usually bubbly personality was lost to a calm contemplative counterpart. She quietly lay on the bed beside Jordan brushing her slim fingers through Jordan's hair. Each movement almost painfully gentle as she absently stared at the sleeping infant.

"I have hot chocolate." I kept my voice low afraid to wake up Jordan.

A small smile touched her lips as she asked, "Can I have some?"

I playful rolled my eyes at her when she glanced up at me. "No. I just said I had it, so I could make myself a cup and drink it in front of you."

"Don't be mean. Share!" She whispered in indignation.

I found myself laughing at her as I got off the couch to go the kitchen. I heard Meatball Head's foot steps, though I didn't turn around to acknowledge her. The sound of her fingertips tapping at the counter's bar drowned out Jordan's snores. I felt her gaze on my back as I walked around the kitchen grabbing cups, warming water, and pulling out things.

"Hey Darien, what do you want your future to be like?" Her voice was uncharacteristically mellifluous.

"What?" I asked. The question was too vague to really be given an answer too.

"Do you want a house, kids…. a wife?" I could hear the dreamy tone and picture Meatball Head's picket fenced Barbie's Dream House.

There wasn't anything better to do, so I answered her. "No. I've only thought about becoming a doctor really. It almost takes all of my free time studying and working as an intern at the hospital. I never even considered moving out of my apartment. A wife sounds too complicated. When I become a doctor I won't even have time for a goldfish. Plus, after taking care of Jordan, I don't think I'll be entertaining the idea of kids again."

The sound of my laughter seemed to echo off the walls and I noticed I was the only one laughing. I thought for sure Meatball Head could appreciate my last statement. She was going through the bad diapers, crying spells, and frantic bottle makings with me.

I looked at Meatball Head to see her impossibly still with her head bowed.

"Meatball Head?" Confusion colored my voice.

She quickly said, "I'll go check on Jordan. Ami said that babies need to be constantly checked on, right?" Meatball Head flashed me a smile; however, her eyes were tightly closed. She practically ran out of my sight.

I didn't bother questioning her. The hot water was soon done and one cup of coffee along with one hot chocolate was made. I sat Meatball Head's cup down in front of chair she was in before. There were water marks on the counter. It didn't make sense since I had thoroughly cleaned the kitchen after Meatball Head's chaotic mess with the first bottle. My face scrunched up in puzzlement.

"Did she spit?" I asked myself. Frustration settled in to my muscles as I walked out of the kitchen. I was not going to clean up the spit of Meatball Head. The thought was disgusting.

She was lying down next to Jordan with her arm draped over the little guy. Twin snores met my ears and I couldn't help but snort at the thought of her needing a nap like Jordan. As much as she would whine, she was going to get up to clean that up.

I had to eat my own words though. The moment I got a clear view of the two faces I saw tear marks streaking her cheeks.

It didn't make sense at first; but it clicked into place fairly fast. Meatball Head was the oversensitive person that would cry over just about anything. That included a future she had no part in. I bet she would find it far too lonely to dream of a future without other people.

I wasn't the type to think about having a family, although I would bet that it was built in Serena's nature to have a family. She was definitely the kind to plan out a life built on making a family. It was easy to see her giving smiles and hugs to her children. I couldn't see her cooking. The mess she made with just making a bottle was proof that she wasn't kitchen friendly, though whoever got to have her would probably bite their tongue and eat her cooking just to see her smile.

I could feel the frown forming on my face. To imagine her gazing lovingly at some mystery man was uncomfortable. It was probably because I had never pictured myself settled down with a wife, so it was rough to picture someone else's future like that. That made sense.

Shaking my head I sat with my coffee against the side of the bed watching them sleep.

"You shouldn't care, Meatball Head. It's not like I'll be your prince charming." The words didn't sit right. For some reason it sounded like I was lying to myself. I forgot about my coffee and opted to just rest my head against my occupied bed enjoying a moment to myself.

Fin

AN: I actually have mixed feelings on this moment, but I think it may just be me over thinking it. Tell me what you think! The next moment is probably my favorite, so I hope you all stick around to read it. R&R.

Special Thanks for the reviews:

roswellachick

SerentiyMoonGodness

Antigone2

serenityselena


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Sailor Moon franchise or characters.

**Moment # Three: Morning Shopping **

I let out another heavy sigh while lugging around three shopping bags. It was only the third store we had left, but I knew I never wanted to go shopping with Meatball Head again.

"Explain to me again why we are out at ten thirty in the morning buying things I _all ready_ have at my house." I pressed out through tight lips.

The glare she shot me was far from intimidating. It only made me arch my eyebrow at the almost adorable face she made.

Her voice held all the know-it-all smarts of a fifth grader as she waved her finger in my face, "I all ready told you a thousand times, Mr. Forgetful. My mom said that babies need far more than just one baby's bag worth of stuff. She said she wouldn't be surprised if you all ready went through half of the supplies."

"And this morning…" She rose to her tip toes with a sly smile on her face before she leaned into me as if she had a secret. "I checked the bag, Stupid."

I couldn't help but think, 'Touché.'

The supplies that were inside of Jordan's baby bag and the added supplies by the hospital were already running low. Jordan had thrown up, burped up, coughed up, and spit up on almost every outfit he had. To make things worse I didn't even know how much a baby could defecate in one night. I had to check the baby book Ami gave me to make sure he wasn't abnormal about it.

"How old is he?" A young mother asked with her baby in her arms. Her black hair was pulled into a pony tail swaying just outside her infants reach. Bright green eyes kept glancing from Meatball Head and Jordan.

Meatball Head went on the move immediately. "Baby Jordan is just over one year old."

"I can't help but notice that you guys look really young to be parents." The mother said.

I could feel a blush blazing across my face. I glance at Meatball Head; she was going through the same embarrassment.

"Th-that's not... What I mean is he's not _our_ son." My fingers stupidly gestured between me and Meatball Head as I tried to get the woman to understand.

"I'm just helping him take care of an injured friend's baby." Meatball Head chimed in.

A look of understanding dawned on the young mother's face. "Sorry, about the misunderstanding. You guys looked the part of family so well. Are you guys a couple?"

The woman leaned towards Meatball Head pretending to whisper as she said, "I bet this is great practice for the future." A playful giggle left the mother's lips as she looked towards me. It was entertaining to see Meatball Head change into a whole new shade of red.

"No, Ma'am. She's just an acquaintance of the baby's parents." I tried to patiently explain.

The woman's eyebrow rose up at me in disbelief.

"You could have fooled me. You two walk in sync, shoulder to shoulder, and I thought your hands were clasped together when I saw you from afar…" She rattled off. Just when she opened her mouth to continue her little infant let out a shriek. Her eyes widened as she tried to rock her baby back into a quiet state, but to no avail.

"Well, I have to deal with my little one. It was nice talking to you. Hope I wasn't too much of a bother to you two." She quickly stepped away as she waved goodbye.

Honestly, I was thanking Kami I didn't have to hear the rest of her comments. The idea of me and Meatball Head together was just too strange.

I could feel Meatball Head staring into the back of my head, but it wasn't the hatred gaze that I had become use to. The attempt to ignore it was useless. She couldn't take her eyes off the store windows a few minutes ago, yet for some unfathomable reason she now couldn't stop gazing at my head. Rolling my eyes, I took the first steps at a slow pace waiting for her to follow my lead. Soon we were back to walking down the street.

"What's going on in that head of yours, Meatball Head?" I grumbled.

I could feel her shoulders shrug and I realized how close we were walking…again. A shy smile lit her face as she heard the happy gibberish of Jordan.

"For a guy who doesn't want a family, you sure do bring in a lot of compliments on being a dad." She said.

I wouldn't admit it, although she was for once right. That had to be about the sixth time that we were stopped like that. Storekeepers, parents, and senior citizens all stopped us. At first I had thought all their attention was focused on Jordan, however after everyone was done asking about Jordan they quickly twisted their questions to about Meatball Head and I. Things like "how long had we been together? Where were the wedding rings? How old were we?" were asked. It was like a game of Twenty-One Questions with strangers.

"I'm not taking it seriously though. This is someone else's life. It isn't mine. You should consider that too, Meatball Head." I said.

The frown on her face was unmistakably. The fine draw of her eyebrows nearly touching, narrowing of her eyes, and lined lips said she wasn't happy about my answer. Moments ticked by before she quickly came back to her happy disposition. She said with a confident voice, "We all walk in Destiny's footprints and I have faith in them."

She didn't say anymore. The smile only broadened as she continued to walk.

The need to shrug overtook me as I openly watched the content smile on Meatball Head's features. I couldn't see the greatness in all this like she could. Jordan was just a great and toddler that needed someone to care for him. He wasn't practice for a future family.

"Oh, such a cute family. How old is the little guy?" The aged voice startled both Serena and me from our conversation. About a foot away from Jordan's walker stood an elder couple straight from the Kodiak Moments. Before I could even mutter that he didn't belong to us, Meatball was standing right beside the woman gush over Jordan with her.

"He's going on thirteen months. I'm trying to get him to walk, but _that guy_ over there wants him to focus on talking." A playful glare was sent my way before she broke out with a dazzling smile.

The old couple laughed. They didn't even try to realize that Jordan had red hair while neither Meatball nor I had it. The elder man walked to his side. His old eyes never leaving his aged wife's face as she blissfully chatted with Serena.

My attention was kept on Serena and the smile that held me still. It was like looking at the pure physical representation of tenderness. Her vibrant blue eyes dancing with every comment she shared with the elder woman. The blonde wisp of hair that fell against her face gave her an appearance of a beautiful….woman.

"You've got yourself a fine-looking, young lady there. That smile on her is something otherworldly." A deep chuckle left the old man's lips before he whispered, "But, I bet you didn't need me to tell you that."

My taciturn nod was his only response. Though he was old and I saw he had his own loving wife, I couldn't remove the urge that wanted me to block the view of Serena's smile from him. Instead, I settled for the companionable silence as we stood watching the two women in front of us.

I could hear the old man beside me mutter, "We should consider ourselves lucky. It's not everyday that a man can find a good mother and an even better wife. Hold onto her."

She fit so perfectly in the picture. It was extraordinary how she seemed to weave this portrait of a family around her... around me.

I didn't want to deny Serena this moment. So, I didn't bother trying to correct the older man. Like the woman before said it was her "practice for the future."

Fin

AN: Hello again! This is indeed my favorite moment so far. I can't help, but smile at the way it turned out. Oh, I hope you caught the fact that I was poking fun of Rini's hair color with Jordan red hair. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please take the time to tell me what you think. If you have an idea for a moment pitch it at me and I'll see if I can run with it.

Thank you for all of the alerts, hits, and favorite.

Special Thank you to my reviewers:

serenityselena – I know, but Darien in the anime seemed reserved to the point where he didn't even consider a family.

Antigone2 – Thank you. I always thought Darien worked off of logic, hence his cold attitude. I have another story I'm thinking about posting to explore Darien's memory less days.

MExTRUNKS4ever - LOL. This chapter should be sweeter than the last.

SerentiyMoonGodness – Even the simple two words "good chapter" are appreciated, so thank you.

roswellachick – Hope this chapter captured a bit of Serena rubbing off on Darien for you!


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **All right, this is one interesting moment. I can guarantee that you are going to have an opinion on this moment and are going to share them in a review.

**Missing Moment #4**

"Babies need playtime, Smarty!" Meatball Head just kept rolling her eyes as she ranted on about my lack of knowledge of my apartment complex, "I mean, who doesn't know that their apartment has a playground? If I wasn't here I bet little Jordan would be stuck all day listening to you study or mumble on and on about some new science discovery."

I fought down the blush of embarrassment at the truth in some of her words. I really hadn't considered going to a playground, but I was going to play with the little guy. He would have been complacent.

"Shut up, Meatball Head. Aren't we heading to the playground right now?"

"Yeah, but…" Meatball Head stuttered over her reply as she animatedly waved her free arm around while the other kept a gentle hold on Jordan.

"No buts. It even looks like the little guy can have the whole sandbox to himself if he wanted to." The playground was simple enough. It had a swing set, a jungle gym, and a hell of a lot of sand. Benches littered the grass nearby with a few well placed streetlamps. Nothing about it streamed extraordinary; it seemed just right for the little guy though.

An eruption of happy gurgles left Jordan as his eyes landed on the playground. A soft laugh broke out from beside me as Meatball Head got to her knees in the grass. I watched as she set Jordan down on his feet, holding each hand, and coaching him on how to walk.

"Meatball Head. It's going to take forever for him to walk to the play area, especially if he has to rely on you for support."

"I don't care. I can be patient. Right, Jordan?" She replied.

I could feel my eyebrow ticking in irritation. Unlike Ms. Lazy, I actually needed to study. It looked like Meatball Head intended to be here for more than half an hour. There wasn't time to fool around. That's why I thought ahead. Books were all ready heavy in my hands nagging in my ears about exams.

"Do what you want. I'm going to sit down and study." I told her.

She quickly looked up at me. It was almost comically easy to read the You-can't-be-serious expression on her face. Her mouth set into a fine line as she whispered, "It's all right to enjoy life, Shields."

There wasn't time to examine the words coming from my mouth. I just felt an unbelievable anger well up at her words. She didn't know anything about me. She had barged in to my life, questioning my choices, and now she thought she knew enough to tell me how to enjoy life. "Some people don't aim to depend on marrying someone to take care of them. It would do well for you to have a Plan B, besides your Barbie Dream, just incase no one doesn't find you to their taste."

Her shocked eyes began to spill over with tears before she breathed out, "What?"

The air around us grew tense and I chose to walk away from it. My whole body felt numb. Instead of thinking about it, I let my body work on autopilot as I made my way to the bench trying to ignore the sobs I heard coming from behind me. Something within me snapped and I wasn't prepared to examine why. So, I just sat down and studied.

By the time I awoke from my trance, I could see Meatball Head's back in front of me. She was sitting in the sand shuffling sand around with Jordan. The booming laughter of the toddler's excitement was almost soothing, but it couldn't erase the sickening words that I threw at her. Serena's halfhearted movements were depressing to watch. That cheerful disposition that had others flocking to her was lost. Nausea flooded me as I recognized it was all my doing.

'What is wrong with me? She didn't deserve that.' I thought.

"Ahh, Jordan!" Meatball Head shouted from the sandbox. She was rubbing at her eyes franticly. Her distress whines loud enough for me to hear.

'Sand in the eyes.' I guessed. I snagged the bottle of water beside me and ran over to the pair. Jordan started to cry before I reached them. Meatball Head stopped rubbing at her eyes to grab the little guy. By the time I got to her she was rocking the distraught toddler with her eyes tightly shut.

"Meatball Head." I called.

She flinched at the sound of my voice. Those two wide orbs tried to open to look at me, but they barely handled opening to slits. Her eyes were heavily clouded with sand. A deep sigh worked its way past my lips. This was worse than I thought. I doubted that even Meatball Head could cry enough to rinse her eyes. Yet, here she was holding back the sobs trembling through her shoulders to comfort Jordan. I swear it felt like she had no self-preservation skills; she would need a husband to protect her from herself.

"Serena. Let go of Jordan. I need to clean your eyes." I told her.

She turned her head in my direction. Her face twisted in pain. Deep blue eyes tried to peak over the sand in her way to peer at me.

"He won't stop crying though." She whispered.

"Serena, he isn't the one hurting. He's feeding off of your distress. I promise that as soon as your better he'll stop crying." The promise rolled off my tongue so easily. I had the odd feeling that it wasn't the first promise I had made to her. I just couldn't remember any of them. That is if I had actually made any.

"Promise?" She asked softly.

A growl of annoyance tried to leave my throat, except I kept it under control. I needed her to think about herself right now. "Yes." I replied.

When she finally let the toddler go I took her face in my hands. My palms rested against her cheeks while my fingers threaded through her hair. The warmth of her flesh sent an unexplainable shiver down my spine. I absently stroked her cheeks as I moved her head this way and that way trying to see if there was more damage than her sand filled gaze. Thankfully, nothing else appeared wrong.

"I need you to open your eyes as wide as you can." I said.

"But it hurts." Serena choked out.

"Shush. Just let me take care of you." My voice soft.

That comment made her open her eyes. Her all too trusting stare resembled that of a lost rabbit. It was ridiculous.

Her gentle voice broke me out of my daze, "Darien?"

One hand moved from her face to grab the water as I shifted to cradle her chin. Wordlessly, I slowly poured the water over eyes. It was like washing sapphires. The brilliant blue of her eyes sparkled in relief as the sand was removed. Her natural tears started to spill over.

"Better?" I asked.

I kept telling myself to let her go, yet my fingers moved back to her cheek and kept caressing. She leaned into my hand. A deep sense of peace settled right into my marrow. There was something beyond this flesh that held me. I saw it in her eyes too. She felt what held me to her; however, unlike me I didn't see the confusion in her. All that met me was unadulterated devotion. I didn't deserve that look. I had done nothing to warrant it, especially after my outburst.

The sudden sound of clapping jolted us from our stupor. Jordan wore one of those pleased grins as he swayed himself side to side clapping. I couldn't help but snort. You'd think that the little guy himself had cleaned Serena's gorgeous eyes.

I felt her lean further into my hand. The breath of her sigh ghosted across my wrist. Her eyes closed in the most serene expression I have seen from her. The unmistakable feel of her tears gathered and dripped off my hand. They brought me back to the moment before the playground; the reality of Meatball Head and I.

'This is getting out of hand. This isn't our reality. We're supposed to be bickering, glaring at each other, aiming at each other's throats. For heaven's sake we were too different.' My mind kept giving me reasons to let her go, nevertheless no reason seemed better than the mere reason that I had walked away from her sobbing form. No good person would have left her crying. I hadn't even apologized. That was all the proof I needed to come back to the world of reality.

I snatched my hand from her. No sooner had I done it her hand reached out for mine, however I kept my distance.

Like I thought before, "This isn't our reality."

She bowed her head. Her hands came up to cover herself. It was at that moment when I noticed her thin wet pink tank top. The lump that built up in my throat was hard to breathe over. I went into a coughing fit as I struggled to look anywhere besides her. Dear Kami, she had a decent rack. It was almost absurd how she kept them hidden. There must have been a spell on her or something.

Jordan's loud whine caught my attention. Without thinking about it, I swept the toddler into my arms and stood to my feet. My back turned from the indecent site of Ser… Meatball Head. Which one was more indecent though? I didn't know if it was the wet shirt or the misery that engulfed her.

"Come on. I'll let you borrow one of my shirts until your shirt dries." I mumbled. An unhealthy resentment towards myself settled within me. All those things that Andrew had told me in the arcade replayed in my head. He was the one that kept trying to get me to understand that what I said hurt her. The unofficial older brother of Tsukino had warned me of the damage that I was capable of inflicting. Yet, I had never seen it as I had today. To think that I could make her cry twice in one day and still not offer one word of comfort was stomach-turning.

"No. It's getting late. I'll head home." Her soft spoken voice was hard to hear. Nonetheless, I caught it. It was four in the afternoon. No one would consider it late. To top it off I can see the small bunnies decorating her bra.

"No way in hell." I growled out.

A defiant glare entered her eyes. She got to her feet and started to walk away from Jordan and I headed for the main street.

"Night, Jordan." She called from behind her.

"Oh, no you don't." I muttered.

I swept her up as easily as I had Jordan in my other arm. My large hand was gripping at her stomach as I pressed her back into my side. The weight was disproportionate; Jordan was far lighter than her. After her moment of shock she started kicking. It made walking one difficult task. There wasn't any great plan behind my actions. However, I knew that before Serena Tsukino went home she was going to have a dry shirt on and….. I was going to apologize for making her cry.

**Fin Moment #4**

**BUT the next Moment will continue off of this one**

AN: Hope you enjoyed! R&R


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. They definitely helped move me into writer mode. I hope this moment lives up to the long wait. Don't be afraid to share your own moments. **

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Sailor Moon

**Chapter Five: Too Much**

So, it wasn't my best idea. I seemed to be doing a lot of these quick moving actions without any real thought. Something I think I picked up from Meatball Head and Anne. A terrible habit that leaves me in a spot where I have a teenager and a toddler bathing in my tub. While I fret about how to apologize to a female I've bantered with forever.

It was easy to toss her over my shoulder, easy to get her in the elevator, that's where it ended though. She hadn't uttered a word. Her lips firmly pressed against each other as she did her best to look at anything, but me. It had to be one of the most unnerving experiences of my life as I stood watching her. I had no idea that Serena could be cold. All warmth had left her actions. In the back of my mind the situation felt familiar, yet with role reversal.

It hadn't been until she glanced at her reflection in the elevator doors that she lightened up. Mud had formed on her. It had caked into her shirt, streaked her face, and somehow gotten on Jordan and I. The huffs and puffs of frustration parted her lips.

When I opened the door to the apartment I offered her the chance to bath. Yet I think we both knew I wasn't giving her much of a choice. Until I got the chance to say what is on my mind she was basically a somewhat willing hostage to my home. Begrudgingly she had accepted my offer, taking Jordan with her, before she slammed the bathroom door shut.

Darien rolled his eyes at their situation. His voice strained, "I need your clothes if I'm going to wash them." Not a second later the bathroom door opened and mud-damp clothes met with his face. The taste of wet sand ripe on his lips as his mouth opened and closed in disbelief. He swiped the material off his face holding the soiled articles away from his person.

"I think I deserved that?" He muttered to himself before yelling to the door. "I keep a few items of clean clothing in the blue hamper!"

The loud sound of running water could be heard through the door. His eyes wandered to the duo washer and dryer hidden behind a folding door.

"No time like the present." He whispered.

Half an hour later with more than a few grumbles about his water bill, the teenager and infant immerged from the bathroom. The toddler crawling out with a fresh diaper and jumpsuit on. While a Meatball-less Serena walked out.

He could hear the stuttering syllables falling from his mouth. The situation just seemed far too surreal. It wasn't a common thing to have a female walk out of your bathroom with your old work shirt tied to fit better and a pair of your drawstring sweatpants hanging off her hips. In fact, it was rare to have said female give him the cold shoulder in his room.

"I can feel the migraine building." He muttered to himself.

Meatball Head walked right by him taking Jordan from the floor and into her arms. The happy little toddler oblivious to the tension between them as Serena showered the toddler in affection.

I watched in clear jealousy and annoyance as she put in the extra effort to laugh a bit louder. She was exaggerating every move she made while Jordan was just rolling in her attention literally. Her lips pressed against the flesh of the toddler's belly blowing soft breaths. The simple action causing Jordan to squirm with happy gurgles on the floor.

It wasn't right to be jealous of a child. It didn't even make sense. Serena had never showered me with such affections. But, like Andrew would say, "There's always room for change."

I shook my head at the thought. I couldn't identify what was affecting me more; the rising tension between us or her wardrobe. She should have looked like a child lost within a pool of my dress shirt and sweats, but she was every bit of a young temptress.

The distinct feeling of pride wormed its way into the situation. She was in my apartment, in my clothes, and helping me take care of a toddler. If I was thinking straight I would thank her. Here she was sacrificing her spare time to help me on an off the wall whim to _take care_ of a toddler, something I had never done before.

I could hear myself groan in dismay. If she wasn't around I was sure I wouldn't have been able to get nearly as much studying done.

How do I repay her? I spit on her dreams and leave her crying in a playground. Some prince charming I am.

"Meatball Head, about earlier." I tried to get back to our normal banter.

"Don't force yourself, Darien." She interrupted.

Her back stiffened as I came closer to her and Jordan. Slowly, I bent down to sit opposite of her on the floor. She wouldn't even grace me with a glance. I waited for her to start a conversation, yet she only laughed and clapped hands with Jordan in a horrible game of Patty Cake.

I knew I deserved it, but it hurt like hell to feel like an outsider in my own home. After being a part of her family portrait it stung to be stripped away from it. A lump formed in my throat as my mind searched for the memory that reminded me of this feeling. It didn't take long to compare it to having my parents one day and the next moment waking up to being told I'm an orphan. The blossoming pain of being without the two people you cherished most, the budding tendril of ice wrapping around you as you begin to realize how precious they really were, and the chilling sensation of facing a world that didn't give a damn about you. No one should have to go through that.

The alarm to the laundry went off and I couldn't have been more thankful for it. I didn't need to be reminded of past tragedies. Sometime within my spacing out Jordan had curled himself within Serena's arms and fallen asleep.

Against my will my fingers reached out to her. I needed the insane reassurance that she wasn't going to disappear. The second I made contact with her arm she stood up only to present me with her back. Baby Jordan didn't seem to register the movement. His soft snores went uninterrupted. I sat on the floor looking at my still outstretched hand in amazement.

"Serena, you don't have to look at me. Just listen to me." I called to her.

"What is there to hear? I heard you the first time. No one would want me, especially you. I'm a klutz, stupid, dependent, and all I have are my looks. If I even have that to offer." She turned her head and her wide eyes met mine. The large pools of blue begging for something I wasn't sure of.

She laid Jordan on the bed. The gentle carding of her fingers through his red hair bring a smile to the toddler's face. The words that escaped her lips came in cracked syllables, "I'm an airhead that dreams of a family, a home, peace and serenity, and above all a husband that will love _me_."

I'd stood up without realizing it. A small docile part of me was upset for the continuous act of acting on instinct, yet the larger section drew my attention only to Serena. This was all the hurt and damage I had inflicted. I stood behind her trying to figure out what I should do next. The decision was taken out of my hands as she spun around to bury her head into my chest.

"Is it too much? Is it too much to want someone that can love and protect _me_?" Her words became unclear as she buried her head into my shirt. Every choked breath slammed into my chest and a set of delicate hands gripped my back.

My arms encircled her. The raw primal need to offer her the protection she searched for overwhelming my discomfort at her closeness.

The ping of the drier went off again. He told himself to let her go, but a fear slivered into him. It was like déjàvu. Something told him that if he let her go now that something or someone would destroy her.

"Beryl." He muttered.

Her head whipped up to stare at him. "What did you say?" She asked him.

His brows furrowed in confusion as he fought to remember exactly what he had whispered. Eventually he shook his head in defeat. His deep blue eyes almost apologetic as he looked into her hopeful gaze with resignation.

"Serena, I'm sorry. I am sorry." His voice was low and the depth of his sincerity dripping from his voice. She looked doubtful. Her eyes fluttering every which way. He pressed his forehead to hers. The action alone bringing her wide gaze back to him. "Believe me, Serena. You didn't deserve those words and you aren't anything like I described."

She pressed her forehead closer to his where their noses brushed. The turmoil in her Disney like eyes spearing him on. "Forgive me?"

The slow motions of the two unnoticed. The leaning on tippy toes and slanting of heads. He could taste her breath as she answered, "Always."

She felt wonderful. Cradled in his arms, protected by his four walls, and almost god forbidden taking care of his charge. He wanted her.

But the laundry's blaring alarm woke Jordan, the child's cries broke the spell, and Darien couldn't kiss Meatball Head...

**End of Moment**

**R&R**

**THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS**

mychakk - you are a saint! I appreciate your eye for details and the time you took to review on each chapter. I'll make the updates on the small grammatical errors.

Artemis the Moon Maiden - It isn't age that is making Darien distant. It's the fact that he isn't comfortable seeing Serena outside of the stereotyped Meatball Head.

**AN: Wow, I don't know how to feel about this moment. I was in tears. I got my own hopes up and crashed them down. Share your thoughts with me! Are Serena's emotions are showing clearly through her actions?**


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